Allocation of funding
SFC is allocating £564.1 million to 41 colleges in academic year (AY) 2011-12 for teaching, fee waiver and student support grants, building maintenance, and strategic intiatives.
The main teaching grant (£421.0 million) is allocated on the basis of activity to which a standard unit price is attached. Any fees that colleges are assumed to earn are removed from this process, and the grant is enhanced to recognise additional costs such as entry costs, social inclusion, remoteness and achievement costs.
We also allocate funds to influence the geographical supply of education. This includes providing additional funding to the central region, the south region, the west highlands, Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire.
Full-time FE education is free to those deemed legally resident. It is also free to students on discrete courses or who are on certain benefits such as DLA, incapacity benefit etc. Part-time FE education is means tested. Once colleges have submitted their final data, SFC will aim to settle the cost of fee waivers in full or claw back any unused funds.
The student support allocations consist of £78.7 million for bursary support and £16.9 million for FE discretionary funds and childcare funds. Bursary funds are allocated on the basis of previous spend behaviour. The other funds are allocated according to student activity, headcount and deprivation. There is an emphasis towards part-time students in the childcare fund allocations. SFC runs an in-year redistribution process to direct the funds to where they are most needed; this includes colleges giving up funds and clawbacks from previous years.
Funding circulars
- Indicative college sector financial decisions for academic year 2012-13
- Main grants to colleges and universities for academic year 2011-12 (SFC/09/2011)
Note: This circular letter supplements SFC/35/2010 (issued in December 2010) - Horizon Fund for Universities and strategic funds for colleges allocations for
AY 2011-12 (SFC/10/2011)
Current policies and guidance
SFC policies are:
- 2011-12 student activity data guidance [PDF]
- Fee waiver grant policy 2011-12 [PDF]
- National policy for further education bursaries 2011-12 [PDF]
- 2011-12 National policy: further education discretionary fund [PDF]
We are also involved in national government strategies such as Lifelong Partners and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Following a successful pilot project in 2009, see Circular SFC/02/2009 - Outcome of the needs-led pilot project, SFC and the sector have developed a needs-led approach to assessing students with additional support needs. More information on this approach can be found at pages 40-44 of our student activity data guidance in Circular SFC/18/2011 - 2011-12 student activity data guidance.
Proposals for implementing Putting Learners at the Centre
This is a joint consultation issued jointly by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council. It represents the next step in the Government's plans to reform post-16 learning in Scotland.
The consultation seeks views on how best to address the challenges of moving to the new vision for college education in Scotland set out in Putting Learners at the Centre – Delivering our Ambitions for Post-16 Education.
See Consultation Proposals for implementing Putting Learners at the Centre. Please note that this consultation is now closed.